


Secrets

by Starting_Stroke_of_the_Pen



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Angst, Found Family, Hurt P. T. Barnum, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Period Typical Bigotry, Period-Typical Homophobia, Phillip bein' a cutie, Whump, barlyle - Freeform, just a lot of asshole protesters tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:14:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22355458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starting_Stroke_of_the_Pen/pseuds/Starting_Stroke_of_the_Pen
Summary: When a new rumor starts to spread, a few protestors start to target the ringmaster.orP.T. Barnum is an idiot who needs to learn to ask for help.
Relationships: P. T. Barnum/Phillip Carlyle
Comments: 7
Kudos: 68





	Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> It's always a good day for some angst and blood :P  
> TW for Protestors being homophobic. There will be fluff and barlyle goodness later, promise.

“Just make sure you take it to the tailor first thing tomorrow. I want you doing the evening show and you’ll be doing it whether your ass is on display to the world or not.” 

Despite the showman’s teasing, Phillip gives him a sharp glare. “You tell anyone I skidded in elephant shit trying to dance and tore my trousers, and this partnership is over. End of story,” He calls to Barnum, the elder man already halfway out the door to head home for the night. 

Phineas chuckles to himself as he steps out into the winter cold of the docklands beyond the tent, wrapping his scarf a little tighter. The sky is light as the moon reflected against the thick sheet of grey clouds, illuminating the water. He begins to make his way down towards town, breath pushing through the fabric of his scarf and whisping into the crisp night air like puffs of smoke. 

Leaving the Circus past midnight wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, in fact it was becoming almost routine lately. Ever since they had re-opened the show a month or so ago, he had found himself immersed in mountains of paperwork and piles of jobs. There were always ropes that needed tying and animals that needed cleaning. With low finances they’d had to let go of a lot more staff than was efficient, at least until they got back on their feet, but it meant a lot more manual labor was needed to keep the dream alive. 

Phineas was glad he had Phillip. Back when he had started the circus alone he was a younger man, he needed less sleep and years of hard labor had left him toughened to hours of running around without stop. Not that he was an old man now, far from it. He still had far more energy and sprite than most men ten years younger than him. Although he would still be the first to admit that having a younger man around to take on shows from time to time and help him balance the books was a godsend and meant that he could still make it home most nights for a few hours of good sleep away from the office.

His townhouse wasn’t far away, less than thirty minutes by foot. It was relatively small after years of living in the luxury of a mansion, but he was grateful to have it. It was hardly like he could complain when his troupe were mostly living in caravans down by the docks now until their financial situation improved. 

Pushing back his shoulder gently to feel the soft click of his tense muscles relaxing after a long day, he turns into the thin strip of street between two blocks of flats. It was a rather dark street with an unpleasant odour of piss likely from the customers at the bar across the street, but the shortcut took ten minutes off his journey. Sometimes when the siren call of a warm bed called out to him, any shortcut no matter how unpleasant would be an easy trade-off for an earlier rest. 

Tomorrow he needed to be back at the Circus for 8am to give the animals their morning feed, since Phillip had fed them this evening. If he washed up and headed straight to bed when he got in, he could easily get a good six hours-

“Hey Ringmaster!”

The slurred voice breaks the showman from his thoughts as he turns on his heal to glance to where the noise had come from. Five dark figures from the end of the alleyway behind him seem to be lurking slowly towards him. A group of drunkards for certain, as the leader still seemed to be brandishing a bottle and stumbling in his step. 

Politely, Phineas tips his hat to the men. “Now I don’t want any trouble, gentlemen. If you have a problem with my circus, how about you take it up with the local authorities, alright?” He calls out pleasantly, giving them a gently quirked smile before turning to continue in his step. They were only drunkards, it wasn’t uncommon. Protestors were often stopping him in the street with slurred shouts about freaks and abominations, they were mostly harmless. Intoxication could bring out the anger in people, he only felt pity for the poor souls with nothing better to do. “Good evening, now. You get home safe.”

“You get home safe,” Calls out one of the men in a mocking tone, a shorter man who looked to be balding, with terrible posture and even worse hygiene. “Oh, we’ll get home safe.”

The footsteps behind him seem to be increasing in speed. The showman follows suit, just walking the tiniest bit faster to stay ahead of the men. He tilts his hat down a little as he picks up speed, eyes fixed on the end of the unlit street.

“Why you out so late, Ringmaster?” another one calls. The way they skew the word Ringmaster makes him purse his lips slightly in irritation, as if the word is dirty in itself. “Rumors true are they?”

“I assure you gentlemen, I have no idea what you are referring to. Now if you’ll excuse me.” He calls back dismissively, waving a hand loosely behind him.

“Pansy boy Barnum been buggering his little assistant boy into the night again has he?” 

The accusation nearly makes Phineas stop in his step, brow creasing in confusion and disgust. He shakes it off, clearing his throat as he keeps pushing forward. “I can assure you there is absolutely no fraternising between myself and my business associates, and I would implore you fine gentlemen to re-evaluate your decision to believe whatever nonsense you hear passed around the bush.” 

Suddenly a hand grips the back of his jacket and tugs him back harshly, his reflexes kick in and he spins on his heal and whacks the man behind him in the side of the face with his fist. He has been in enough brawls in his youth to know how this goes down. 

The fight breaks out suddenly and Phineas is outnumbered, while he has the advantage of being a tall and well built man, once two men grab him to hold him against the wall there is little he can do but take the beating. 

A fist hits his chest and knocks the wind out of him, another crunches into his gut and he has to choke back a cry and bite back the urge to vomit.

“That why you left your wife, ya dirty sodomite. I heard you’re luring younger men into your den of sins and doing the nasty to them. What’s the matter, women don’t do it for ya anymore? You have to go against god and abuse men now? You sicko.” The leader of the little group slurs.

He lands a pretty hard knee to the showman’s crotch, making Phineas grunt out a sharp whine of pain. He’d have doubled over if there wasn’t two burly men holding him tight against the wall. 

“My wife and I- parted ways due to- personal reasons, there was absolutely no…buggery….involved- in the matter.” Phineas chokes out, tugging to try to break free from the men’s hold. “How is this a fair- fight? Let me go immediately or I’ll be- reporting you to the authorities. I am a- powerful man, gents. Don’t do this.”

“You don’t look so powerful to me.” The leader sneers through his missing front teeth, landing another sharp punch to the showman’s chest, making a sickening crack. “You look like a glittery pansy in tights who fucks men.” 

Supressing a sob, Phineas tips his head back against the filthy street wall. He’s sure he has a cracked rib and the pain spreads like fire across his chest, making it hard to breath. He grits his teeth, refusing to give them the satisfaction as he pants out a labored breath. His body screams to lie down, head spinning with the pain, stomach protesting violently. His mind overwhelmed with panic, too much so to think clearly. “Gentlemen. Let me go. That is enough,” He grits out, voice labored and sounding like he has a throat full of gravel. 

“Oh we’ll let you go, we’ll let you go right where you belong.” The taller man holding his left arm snorts. “C’mon lads.”

Before he has time to process what’s happening, the two men hoist him off the ground and start carrying him down the backstreet. Phineas kicks violently in an attempt to break free, the movement of his legs sending searing pain to his swollen crotch and ribs and making him growl. 

“Quit squirming, Nancy boy!” Calls out one of the men, he can’t make out which is which anymore, his vision is going fuzzy around the edges as the pain floods his mind. Someone takes a fist to his face and he grunts sharply through his teeth as a sweltering sting forces his eye to close. That’s going to leave a mark, he just knows it. 

“What are you-“ He manages out, cut off as he is suddenly thrown into a nearly full dumpster, the lid crashing down after him. 

Their laughter is faint through the thick metal, and despite the cold chill of the space all he can think of is how terrible it smells. Phineas stays silent, his body protesting any movement. 

It’s another few minutes before he hears the men leave, their drunken chatter fading into silence. He stays laying in the disgusting pile of waste food and old clothes, breath catching in his throat every few moments as his broken rub sends waves of pain through him like electric shocks. 

He needs to see a doctor. So much for a good nights sleep. At the moment though, he just needs to lay still until the world stops spinning.

Phineas decides never to tell Phillip about this incident. Rumours like that are not what they need right now, with everything else going on.

He closes his eyes in the darkness and lets the pain flow through him like ice water.


End file.
